Like anyone who has been alive during the last few years, I was under the impression that gluten was bad for you even if you don’t technically have Celiac Disease. I never went gluten free and didn’t really care to do so until I recently started up my marathon training regimen and did some diet research.

Turns out, experts estimate that about 1% of Americans actually have a gluten allergy and that those who are making this actual dietary restriction a diet trend are doing so under the false impression that gluten is bad for you. This was good news for me! Even better news was learning that gluten itself doesn’t offer any special nutritional benefits, but the many whole grains that contain gluten do. These whole grains are rich in vitamin B, iron and fiber. Additionally, studies have shown that whole grains as part of a healthy diet, may help lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even some forms of cancer.

Doctors warn that eliminating a whole category of food that you’ve been used to eating makes you run the risk of becoming nutritionally deficient in vitamins such as iron, zinc, fiber and magnesium. So basically, there is little point in taking that risk unless you genuinely have a gluten allergy. And if thats not enough for you to stick with gluten, keep in mind that gluten free products tend to be pricier than non gluten free versions!